章節 3: Returning Home
"Be back before dark!!" Jimmy was shouting out the door with his cane in hand; the neighbors must have thought he was insane to be yelling through the neighborhood at his age.
"I'll be back, old man!" Alexander shook his fist at the crazed elder as he exaggerated the situation for his eavesdropping neighbors.
His trauma was hidden behind his playfulness.
Curious about the true condition of the destruction, the young were-rex chose to explore last night's battlefield instead of heading directly toward his home. He gazed at the scene as he compared it to his memories.
'The psychos must have set off a real explosion!' The portion of the city that housed the battle between the T-rex and the city's bravest no longer existed! The homes that had simply been damaged in the rampage were now razed to the ground. All he saw were the footprints of foundations and basements.
The lack of a crater confused him the most.
'What happened to all the people that lived here?' He couldn't help but dwell on the lives that would have been ruined by this added devastation.
[You mean other than the ones you killed?]
'Shut up… I wasn't myself!'
[You were told vampires and werewolves rule the city.]
[How do vampires feed?]
'There's no way they could cover that up!'
[You'll understand when you're older, young Alexander.]
He was thankful that he had moved away from his home when he noticed the flashing lights.
There was a chance that his family's dwelling wasn't caught in the mess. He didn't know what the truth was regarding the buildings and families in the area, but a part of him didn't want to find out. He doubted his system had all of the answers.
Not wanting to waste any more time watching the clean-up crews, the boy ran toward his home, hoping it still stood.
A wave of relief washed over him as he saw the home standing tall. The two-story single-family home would need a new paint job as its white surface was covered in a heavy battering of debris as shingles and dirt had been embedded into it. A few windows were cracked, but ultimately even the childhood swing set in his backyard survived!
A piece of him hoped that he would step inside and see his mother baking like she had so many times in the past.
Unfortunately, when he opened the door, no one greeted him.
A lone child stood in a dark hallway that once housed everything he held dear. A coat rack leaned against the wall, knocked off balance by his flailing when the pain first started. He straightened the rack and picked up the trash can his father tripped over when trying to rush him to the hospital.
Alex stepped up and completed the chores that his parents would have expected from him for the first time without being asked. He spent time finishing the laundry, watching his hands get pruney washing the dishes, and even scrubbing the floors. It wasn't until the house sparkled that he finally stopped.
It no longer mattered, but his parents would have appreciated the gesture.
Knowing that he would need a large piece of luggage to carry his personal items to Jimmy's house, Alex went straight to his parent's room. He recalled his father's frequent business trips and knew he would have something.
Digging through his parent's room felt wrong at first. He felt as if he was betraying the privacy of the dead. Eventually, that feeling was overtaken by the joy of finding the perfect solution! He dragged a large piece of luggage to his room and began packing the things he thought he might need for school.
The suitcase was huge and designed for adults, which would allow him to be rather lenient with his selection. This meant he didn't have to put much thought into it as he packed most of his clothing along with his laptop and textbooks.
After forcing most of his belongings into the oversized carrier, he lugged it to the front door and dropped it to the ground. Before he left, he wanted one last keepsake that hung above the fireplace.
Removing the family photo and staring at his mother and father, it finally hit him—they were dead.
Tears began streaming down his cheeks as he sat on the heat-worn bricks of the hearth. His hands balled into fists so tightly his knuckles whitened. He blamed himself and cursed his biological father, whoever he may be, for tearing apart his family.
He slammed his fist into the fireplace, leaving an imprint and causing two bricks to clatter to the ground. Alex panicked for a moment! He was supposed to remain low profile, and a fist-sized dent in the wall wouldn't qualify!
Blinded by his emotions, he placed the photo in his pocket and moved toward the garage through the living room. Propped against the wall near his father's workbench laid his answer. Retrieving his dad's trusty sledgehammer, Alex returned to the fireplace.
He decided to destroy it!
Some may consider it extreme, but no one would see the indent he left! Instead, it just looked like he was having a breakdown. He could deal with that.
With one mighty blow, the mark that he had left was nowhere to be seen as the dust was scattered into the air. Coughing lightly, he swung a second time, mirroring the damage on the opposite side. Finally, as his statement piece, he swung the tool as hard as he could and collapsed the bottom part of the chimney.
He gently placed his weapon upside down on the pile of rubble and dusted his hands.
After his manual stress relief, he grabbed his bag. The journey to Jimmy's place was supposed to be quick if he was direct, as curiosity had already gotten the best of him and used too much time. Unfortunately, he failed to consider how much he had packed.
Alex struggled to find a comfortable way to lift his bulging suitcase, afraid it would rip open at any moment, as he returned at a slow pace…
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